The bankruptcy petition, according to legal documents obtained, shows that Rutherford, 44, spent almost $1.5 million on legal fees as the divorce/custody battle played out in court, adding that she also owes $350,000 in income taxes for 2012 and has an American Express bill of $25,251.

Rutherford and Giersch filed for divorce in 2009 after just two years of marriage. In 2012, the custody battle over the couple's two children, Hermes, 6 and Helena, 4, intensified when it took an international turn.

Giersch, a wealthy German entrepreneur who resides in Monaco, was barred from returning to the U.S. because of a revoked visa. With a 50/50 custody split, both Rutherford and Giersch shared parenting duties but because of Giersch's travel restrictions, the children are living with him.

In September 2012, a judge ruled that Rutherford's schedule was flexible enough to travel back and forth to Monaco to visit her kids.